Editor,
The Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court’s ruling on the role of Rangbah Shnong ( Headmen) in Meghalaya is a step in the right direction for moving towards a civilized world. I could recollect during my youth there were Headmen ( Rangbah Shnong) who were selected by the locality only to look after the welfare activities in the localities like cleaning drives, coordinating in helping bereaved families, liaise between the locality and the government for basic services, sports, arts and culture, etc. Since this institution has been politicized, the headmen have started to behave like a parallel government. They have gone to the extent of collecting fees from the public especially in land deals. We learn that the going rate is 5% of the price of the property/land. Some of them are monopolizing land deals in their localities and have become dalals in the trade. Political parties and election candidates are luring these headmen for their political gains and these days headmen are earning right and left during elections because every contesting candidate bribes them for votes. We should not be governed by these power hungry elements. We should respect the law then only we can claim ourselves to be civilized.
Yours etc.,
Oscar R Marwein
Shillong -2
UDP and the issue of Rangbah Shnong
Editor,
After the debacle in the Last Legislative Assembly elections, last year’s MP and MDC elections, the UDP has no more issue with which to impress the people of Meghalaya. Hence like a drowning man clinging to a straw the UDP is grasping this opportunity to popularize itself through the Rangbah Shnong issue. The discreet approach played by Paul Lyngdoh and Titus Chyne when they by-passed the Rangbah Shnong while distributing MLA schemes in localities is a clear example of the dubious intention of the UDP on the above issue.
Mr Bindo Lanong, a lawyer himself knows fully-well that the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution does not empower the District Councils to make laws that could elevate the rangbah shnong/headmen to the status parallel to state authorities. They can only recognize the headmen, and by logic District Councils will not be so foolish to allow the headmen to become so powerful for fear that they may overpower the Councils. In other words the District Councils will not create their own monsters. Mr Lanong who was the CEM and MDC for many long years did not dare broach the subject of empowerment of headmen for fear of being overpowered.
Hence I would say that the UDP’s concern for the headmen in the light of the recent ruling of the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court is not impressive at all; it is like fishing in a fishless pond. The bottom line is to let the Rangbah shnong or headmen or gaonbura continue to do good to the society and limit themselves to good services, not beyond that!
Yours etc.,
B R Sohtun
Shillong -2